Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

Batman enters the madhouse. Apparently you can go home again.

There's something just a little bit crazy about a guy who dresses up like a bat. Though the Batman battles some true loons, there is an uneasy familiarity between hero and villain. Grant Morrison and Dave McKean explore that connection in Arkham Asylum, one of the finest superhero books to ever grace a bookshelf.

When the maniacs in the madhouse are set loose inside of Arkham, they hold the workers hostage. They have a list of demands and topping that list is the Batman himself. Bats agrees and enters the insane asylum, but not with batarangs blazing. In fact, it's a calm entrance, with Joker acting as host. His enemies cause is simple; they believe Batman belongs in the Asylum just as much as they do. The twist -- Batman doesn't necessarily disagree.

Parallel to Batman's journey through the Asylum is the tale of Amadeus Arkham, who originally constructed the house in the '20s. His journey into madness notes some rather familiar symbols. At one point he finds a playing card, the Joker, until eventually his madness emerges with the symbol of the bat, tying the Dark Knight to all the other madmen. Of course, this is 60 years prior to the birth of Batman and his Rogue Gallery, which then assumes all of this insanity was predestined.

McKean's art is crucial to the tale. No other artist, with the exception perhaps of David Mack, could come close to capturing the claustrophobic psychosis permeating Arkham Asylum. Many of the pages read down instead of across and it's a disorienting experience. Each page feels like madness. The imagery is beautiful with Batman's battle with Killer Croc the most vivid moment.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is unlike any other Batman book you've ever read. No one's ever tried to duplicate it. I doubt anyone could. While I can't really buy the comparison of Batman to Jesus (it's first implied with a spear stab to his side, then confirmed with a visual side-by-side), the rest of Asylum is brilliant. Is Batman really just as crazy as the rest, but somehow driven by divine purpose? Let's flip a coin to decide.